Can Americans learn to love tiny, cheap kei cars?

Can Americans learn to love tiny, cheap kei cars? A driver takes a Honda Life on a ride during a meeting of the Capital Kei Car Club in Clifton, Virginia. Kei cars are ultracompact Japanese vehicles defined by strict size and engine limits. Michael Noble Jr. for NPR hide caption toggle caption Sitting in the Oval Office this month, President Trump went on one of his trademark riffs, an aside about vehicles that are popular in Asia but impossible to buy new in the United States. "They have a very small car. It's sort of like the Beetle used to be with the Volkswagen," he said. "They're very small. They're really cute." In Japan, these vehicles are known as kei cars. They are, indeed, very small. They are, indisputably, very cute. "But you're not allowed to build them" in the U.S., Trump went on. "I've authorized the secretary [of transportation] to immediately approve the production of those cars." A shirt featuring a variety of kei cars was on display during a meeting of the Capital Kei Car Club. Michael Noble Jr. for NPR hide caption toggle caption That news came in the middle of a press conference about the Trump administration relaxing fuel economy rules - a change that will make it easier for Americans to buy more of the big, fuel-guzzling trucks and SUVs that car buyers love. Trump's endorsement surprised, delighted and somewhat confused American kei car enthusiasts. It is not actually illegal to build tiny cars for the U.S. auto market. The problem is that kei cars built for foreign countries don't meet U.S. safety standards, so you can't import them unless you're willing to buy an antique. And companies could build tiny cars to U.S. standards, but given the American preference for big vehicles, they simply don't. "If this is going to be a kick in the right direction to maybe get the domestic auto industry to reconsider cars like this," said Andrew Maxon, a kei car owner and the founder of the Capital Kei Car Club, "I'm all for it. I'll take what we can get." An antique exemption Andrew Maxon, the founder of the Capital Kei Car Club, sits in his Autozam AZ-1. Michael Noble Jr. for NPR hide caption toggle caption Kei cars, trucks and vans are very popular in Japan. But while new models might meet Japan's safety standards for things like airbags and seat belts, they're not designed to meet the very specific U.S. requirements. So they can't be imported and driven in the U.S. unless they're at least 25 years old, which qualifies them as an antique and exempt from federal safety standards. That's why every vehicle at a recent Capital Kei Car Club meetup in Northern Virginia was at least 25. Drivers raved about their tiny cars - their fun handling, their cute appearance, the delighted responses they get when they drive them around. Drivers of kei vans and trucks also emphasized that the vehicles are practical . Ryan...

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